Thoughts and assorted philosophical musing about: Family, Friends, Fun, Hobbies, & other everyday things.My continuing efforts to serve as a First Sergeant (Top) in the Army of God.My latest interest is in Letterboxing.

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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thankful?, Some thoughts on why I am Thankful.

It’s Thanksgiving Day, and the house is quiet. Tuesday night my daughter Ellisa and her two boys rolled in from their home near Detroit to stay with us for the holiday. My son Loren and his wife Jennifer also converged on the area from their home near Newark Delaware. They are staying a short distance away with her parents. Yesterday the house was alive with action as Ellisa and our Grandchildren filled the house with fun and laughter, Loren came over to cook several dishes to be shared with Jennifer’s clan today. Ellisa also prepared a dish to take to her in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner today.

We will be having our family Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night which will include dishes prepared by Ellisa and Loren plus others items provided by our other two grown sons Jason and Damon. We also expect to have Loren’s wife Jennifer and Ellisa’s husband Matt. To top it off my Brother Don will be joining us. Today I smoked a Turkey breast while Donna is getting stuffing prepared for a whole turkey.

So today the children are off with other segments of their family. With the rapid change from a house full of family to just Donna and I, I am sitting here thinking - am I thankful and if so what am I thankful for?! I have mentioned several times recently that my health has become an ongoing concern which has contributed to an overall feeling of malaise. Yes my health does keep me from accomplishing many things that I think I would like to do, but I know many many people with maladies that render them physically far less capable than I. The truth is that even if I were able I would probably not get around to doing most of those things that I lament.

I am truly thankful that I can still see, smell, hear, taste, and touch things in my environment. Yes my eyes, my ears, my teeth, and my sense of touch are not those of a young man, but they still work well enough for me to enjoy life. I surely am enjoying the sounds, sights, smells, and soon the flavor of the Holiday Feast preparation. I can still walk for short distances. I still have the original number of all of my appendages and they are in reasonably good shape. I am still able to experience the enjoyment of being around my family and companions. I can still eat most of those exotic foods we had come to enjoy from our travels.

The poor economy has not helped our financial situation, but we are not in immediate danger of being out on the street, having inadequate clothing, or of missing meals. During our 20 plus years of military service we traveled throughout the world. Although they probably exist due to some aberration, I have never witnessed situations in America that are even remotely close to those considered normal in most of the world. We simply do not have conditions in which people routinely experience large scale immense suffering resulting from every conceivable type of deplorably inappropriate circumstance.

We have the freedom to explore opportunities, to make mistakes, to accomplish great things, or to do nothing at all. Ours is a great country and I love it.

Yes I am Thankful because I have adequate clothing, food, shelter & health care. I am thankful that I have the freedom to attempt virtually anything that I desire, and also for a never ending litany of the many other things we tend to take for granted.

But the one thing that I really need most at this point in my life is to be wrapped in love and caring. To be smothered with hugs and kisses from my wife, my children, my grandchildren, my brother, and my friends. Perhaps even from strangers and enemies, I just need that extra support to keep me going. Thankfully I have a family support group that is there to provide for those extra needs, I am getting my share. Thank You Family for being there when I need you the most.Thank you God for providing me with such a loving family, for the wondrous world that you created, and thank you for providing your son Jesus.